tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89645329358853061102019-02-27T09:06:41.309-06:00learn more stuffprojects = educationDaniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-6559277554199180832018-11-26T17:30:00.000-06:002018-11-26T18:11:41.166-06:00Mowbot 4.0!The last mowbot was a hack.&nbsp; They all were.&nbsp; The future for the mowbot is something that will hopefully last much longer.&nbsp; &nbsp;I'm using FreeCAD to design what I hope will become the last major iteration of the mowbot frame.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBb5Xbs_jCo/W_xryrASW_I/AAAAAAAAOm8/9yhxcWehyVopgV05P5wn6JcHDqfsWVxYQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-11-26%2Bat%2B3.54.39%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mowbot isometric view" border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1334" height="271" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBb5Xbs_jCo/W_xryrASW_I/AAAAAAAAOm8/9yhxcWehyVopgV05P5wn6JcHDqfsWVxYQCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-11-26%2Bat%2B3.54.39%2BPM.png" title="freecad rendering" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Things will be different this time... Maybe.&nbsp;</div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Maybe a roadmap will help keep this project on track.&nbsp; A timeline would probably be a good idea too.<br /><br /><ul><li>better balance&nbsp;</li><li>improved traction</li><li>adjustable and removable mower</li><li>rake attachment</li><li>striping bar</li><li>unified power system (gas engine charges main batteries or fully electric)</li></ul><div><br /></div>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-82312382092040763522017-12-13T10:32:00.000-06:002017-12-13T10:32:10.917-06:00android vr still sucks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.pexels.com/photos/123335/pexels-photo-123335.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://static.pexels.com/photos/123335/pexels-photo-123335.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I've been anxiously awaiting decent VR tech since long before the Oculus Rift.&nbsp; I had hoped that after so many years the technology would finally become usable.&nbsp; The current technology is close, but it still sucks.<br /><br />There are plenty of other reviews for the available VR options on Android so I will try to keep this brief.<br /><br />The Google Cardboard knockoffs are probably the best bang for your buck.&nbsp; They can be more comfortable than the Daydream View and benefit from the large-ish ecosystem of google cardboard apps.&nbsp; My face hurt after only a few minutes of trying the Daydream so I didn't spend much time in it.&nbsp; The carboard/daydream apps still suck, by the way.&nbsp; If you like looking at cartoons through screen doors you might enjoy all that.<br /><br />Samsung GearVR is the most comfortable headset that I've tried.&nbsp; The headset fits well, keeps light out and is quite immersive.&nbsp; The Oculus apps suite is still maturing and there are many experiences to choose from.&nbsp; I liked this headset the most but still couldn't wear it for more than 20 minutes at a time.&nbsp; And, of course, you still get the terrible "screen door" effect.&nbsp; Perhaps pixel density on Android devices is still too low?<br /><br />Focus is a common problem for all three headsets.&nbsp; As I look to the edges of the "screens" things get blurry.&nbsp; Only the center is in focus, so I have to move my head around a lot instead of just looking left or right.&nbsp; For example, try reading the menu at the bottom of Oculus home without pointing your head at your crotch.<br /><br />There is currently no realism in Android VR.&nbsp; All apps are "low poly" or "lo fi", presumably due to processing limitations on mobile platforms.&nbsp; VR on PC might be a different story today, but when the Oculus Rift Developer Kit came out it was the same thing.&nbsp; The comfort and focus issues might be close to resolved but the visual quality has a long way to go.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-41594862974814005232017-04-08T22:34:00.000-05:002017-05-15T11:40:30.565-05:00mowbot rebootI'm working on rebuilding the mowbot. &nbsp;One of the main problems with my previous design was that a lot of weight was placed on the front caster wheels, eventually causing them to fail. &nbsp;My next iteration of the mowbot will position most of the weight over the rear drive wheels. &nbsp;With less weight on the caster wheels (and perhaps sealed bearings?) they should last much longer.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8zRZy5mE2Q/WRnZ7xsPvnI/AAAAAAAANQ4/qsKNAhPa7qs1x1TCCCh-OrmT4xITlInDQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-05-15%2Bat%2B11.39.47%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8zRZy5mE2Q/WRnZ7xsPvnI/AAAAAAAANQ4/qsKNAhPa7qs1x1TCCCh-OrmT4xITlInDQCLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-05-15%2Bat%2B11.39.47%2BAM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first step for the new frame is the motor mount plate. &nbsp;I designed this in OpenSCAD, exported to Inkscape and finally printed on paper to use as a template. &nbsp;A good friend allowed me to use his plasma cutter (thanks Chris!) to make this plate. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next I will start mocking up placement of the mower deck and batteries.&nbsp;</div>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-7492609401232088772016-04-19T19:00:00.000-05:002016-04-19T19:00:21.423-05:00AustinROV @ 360 Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w9MLNDi2wAI/VxTmzBxPmtI/AAAAAAAALdw/SQQ3BkWO6Uk94NWhaVS1WxR4pAT_nsSuQCLcB/s1600/unfathomable.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w9MLNDi2wAI/VxTmzBxPmtI/AAAAAAAALdw/SQQ3BkWO6Uk94NWhaVS1WxR4pAT_nsSuQCLcB/s1600/unfathomable.png" /></a></div><br />Check out our latest AustinROV adventure. &nbsp;We saw fish! &nbsp;Lots of things went wrong, some things went right, read more on the team blog.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.austinrov.org/2016/04/when-you-fail-so-much-it-feels-normal.html">http://www.austinrov.org/2016/04/when-you-fail-so-much-it-feels-normal.html</a>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-33635970911187010202016-04-18T08:51:00.000-05:002016-04-18T08:51:22.997-05:00TinyCore NAS on Raspberry PiOne of the major drawbacks of the Raspberry Pi is that by default you are running the OS on an SDcard. &nbsp;Eventually this turns into a corrupted SDcard where you lose the OS and everything you didn't back up. &nbsp;One solution is to use <a href="http://www.berryterminal.com/doku.php/berryboot" target="_blank">BerryBoot</a>&nbsp;and install the OS to a USB flash drive or HDD. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tinycorelinux.net/images/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tinycorelinux.net/images/logo.png" height="76" width="200" /></a></div>The <a href="http://tinycorelinux.net/" target="_blank">TinyCore</a> solution is to run the OS entirely in RAM. &nbsp;This frees the SDcard from the barrage of reads/writes by the regular Raspbian system (or most other OSes) thus extending the lifetime of your project/OS/data/happiness.<br /><br /><br />Is it more reliable? &nbsp;I don't know yet. &nbsp;If it works for a year then I'd say yes it is indeed more reliable. &nbsp;For now I'll just assume it is and hope for the best.<br /><br />By the way the Raspberry Pi is a terrible NAS. &nbsp;I was already aware of this. &nbsp;Don't build something like this unless you already understand the limitations. &nbsp;For my next NAS project, possibly many years down the road, I'd like to do something with gigabit ethernet and sata. <br /><br />Here are the steps for installing and configuring your very own piCore NAS.<br /><br /><ol><li>Install <a href="http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=18536.0" target="_blank">piCore 6.1</a>&nbsp;to an sdcard and expand the filesystem.&nbsp;</li><li>Run tce-ab and install ntfs-3g.tcz and samba4.tcz.</li><li><a href="http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=12755.0" target="_blank">Configure networking</a>.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://bipedu.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/samba-server-on-tinycore-linux-howto/" target="_blank">Configure samba</a>.</li></ol><br />Fin.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-6053409256365201972016-02-12T08:54:00.000-06:002016-03-08T12:34:35.861-06:00Goodbye dyn, hello googleDynDNS is kind of expensive if you pay them to manage DNS for you. &nbsp;My DYN services were costing me about $45/year. &nbsp;When it came time to renew this year, I shopped around and found Google to be much cheaper at ~$12/year. <br /><br /><a href="https://domains.google.com/about/features.html">https://domains.google.com/about/features.html</a><br /><br />Check into it if you own any domain names. &nbsp;If you have a cheaper service, tell me who it is.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-55316508529072042582015-11-23T11:54:00.000-06:002015-11-23T11:54:32.253-06:00IOIOcar p1 oops boards for freeDue to a PCB manufacturing error I'm currently overstocked on IOIOcar p1 boards and I'm giving them away! That's right free! These boards work just fine for the IOIOcar functions, they just have an incorrect hole spacing in the prototyping area. If you pay for shipping then I will send you one PCB for free.<br /><br />Consider these "limited edition" since I've designed a new board and won't be making any more like this. Leave a comment or get in touch if you're interested.<br /><br />You will need the parts from the BOM to complete the board:<br /><a href="https://github.com/depperson/dronedroid/blob/master/hardware/ioiocar-bom.csv">https://github.com/depperson/dronedroid/blob/master/hardware/ioiocar-bom.csv</a><br /><br />More details might be found on GitHub.&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/depperson/dronedroid">https://github.com/depperson/dronedroid</a><br /><br />Here is a table showing the IOIO pins utilized.<br /><br /><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Arial, freesans, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow: auto; width: 858px; word-break: keep-all;"><thead style="box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style="background-color: white; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">IOIO Pin</th><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">IOIOcar Function</th></tr></thead><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style="background-color: white; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">3</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">UART RX (gps tx)</td></tr><tr style="background-color: #f8f8f8; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">4</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">UART TX (unused)</td></tr><tr style="background-color: white; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">39</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">Servo power relay</td></tr><tr style="background-color: #f8f8f8; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">40</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">ESC PWM output</td></tr><tr style="background-color: white; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">41</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 13px;">Servo PWM output</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Get autopiloting!Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-75816538918749197542015-10-04T21:36:00.001-05:002015-10-04T21:36:58.917-05:00AustinROV: For real this time<a href="http://www.austinrov.org/2015/10/for-real-this-time.html?spref=bl">AustinROV: For real this time</a>: We took the ROV to the San Marcos River today at La Isla. This is sort of how it went, though it doesn't tell the whole story.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-23454239413296188982015-09-07T16:42:00.001-05:002015-11-23T10:58:58.056-06:00Introducing IOIOcar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gQY4GWpn2HM/Ve4ENkF5k6I/AAAAAAAAKXk/pceGj1QiMsE/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-09-07%2Bat%2B4.37.52%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gQY4GWpn2HM/Ve4ENkF5k6I/AAAAAAAAKXk/pceGj1QiMsE/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-09-07%2Bat%2B4.37.52%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div>Here are the beginnings of my entry for the <a href="https://avc.sparkfun.com/" target="_blank">Sparkfun AVC</a> in 2016. My vehicle doesn't have a name yet and I am looking for suggestions. I'm releasing all of my source code and hardware designs to encourage openness and competition. Check out <a href="https://github.com/depperson/dronedroid" target="_blank">my github</a> for the files. On the right you can see a picture of the electronics plate for mounting the brains to a Traxxas Rustler.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://644db4de3505c40a0444-327723bce298e3ff5813fb42baeefbaa.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/bc6ac8994e0109f05a5ae8069aa3cabf.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://644db4de3505c40a0444-327723bce298e3ff5813fb42baeefbaa.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/bc6ac8994e0109f05a5ae8069aa3cabf.png" width="200" /></a></div>On the hardware side, I've developed a PCB that I call the <a href="https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/OVnCkmHx" target="_blank">IOIOcar</a>. This is a board that connects Ytai's IOIO to a couple of servos and a relay. I'm using OSH Park to produce the PCBs and selling kits here.<br /><br />The software is written in Java using Android Studio. The Android phone (or tablet?) provides many sensors and GPS which come in handy for navigation. Importing the "android" folder from github should be all that you need to do to get started.<br /><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" /><input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="ZDZ72YLMN5828" /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td style="padding-right: 20px;">I was planning on selling kits but nobody was interested.&nbsp;</td><td><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></form>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-76510396426934649852015-05-19T14:37:00.001-05:002015-05-19T14:37:05.044-05:00Art car 4It works!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_jYQyTIBdI8/VVuQzjlShtI/AAAAAAAAHDM/cfrt6C9I95E/s1600/DSCF6256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_jYQyTIBdI8/VVuQzjlShtI/AAAAAAAAHDM/cfrt6C9I95E/s400/DSCF6256.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/128253959" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><a href="https://vimeo.com/128253959">RIDE MY ROCKET</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/d33zdotcom">Daniel Epperson</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-49548530914516682432015-03-16T12:32:00.000-05:002015-03-16T12:32:09.490-05:00Art car 3<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/83WGz9p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/83WGz9p.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>I've been working on benches for the rocket car. These are 2"x8" lumber bolted to 1"x1" ladder framed steel bars.<br /><br /><br />You can view more details in the imgur gallery linked below.<br /><br /><a href="http://imgur.com/a/3MReh">http://imgur.com/a/3MReh</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Also, here is a video of the mostly ready flame effect.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/117638950" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-37312889313957348272014-12-11T12:55:00.004-06:002015-03-16T12:32:34.122-05:00First pcb, woot<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://644db4de3505c40a0444-327723bce298e3ff5813fb42baeefbaa.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/uploads/project/top_image/sOoaAIVo/thumb_i.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://644db4de3505c40a0444-327723bce298e3ff5813fb42baeefbaa.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/uploads/project/top_image/sOoaAIVo/thumb_i.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ghpi circuit board rendering</td></tr></tbody></table>This is my first professionally made PCB. I designed it using <a href="http://easyeda.com/">EasyEDA.com</a> in my spare time. OSH Park is producing the board and I will perform the assembly.<br /><br />The board connects 1-wire temperature sensors to a Raspberry Pi for logging and display. There are also connections for an I2C/TWI display and an SPI RF24 wireless module. My plans is to release the source on github and sell kits. Please leave me a comment if you are interested in either one.<br /><br />GHPi is what I am calling the project, which is currently in the prototype phase with my friends at <a href="http://c-jgreenhouse.com/">c-jgreenhouse.com</a>. Go buy some flowers from them.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-71058529308593114152014-12-10T22:07:00.000-06:002015-03-16T12:32:40.717-05:00Maiden fpv quadcopter flightOn 12/2/2014, I was finally able to fly my maiden fpv circuit through my backyard. This wasn't my first flight with the quadcopter or first time seeing the FPV video but it was the first time I flew the vehicle directly from the video feedback. The feeling is awesome and I can't wait to try this out on my airplane when conditions are right.<br /><br />The quadcopter is a HobbyKing fpv250 and isn't strong enough to fly with a gopro. I haven't received my C-DVR yet, so I wasn't able to record the slightly frightening flights.<br /><br />"The AMA FPV spotter must communicate with the FPV pilot to ensure the FPV aircraft remains within VLOS, warning the FPV pilot of approaching aircraft, and when avoidance techniques are necessary."<br /><br />I need a spotter.<br /><br />In total I lost three propellers. One was damaged due to a sudden and unexpected hard landing. The next was lost due to over tightening the new propeller onto the motor. I have seen these GemFan 5x3x3 propellers explode when spinning up so I don't risk running cracked or stressed GemFans. The last prop was lost due to a collision with a tree, which also pulled off a landing gear and the mounting hardware for the propeller. I could have also lost a landing leg but was able to find it.<br /><br />I need to collect spare parts like propeller nuts and washers, landing gear and more propellers. This stuff should go in a case with the quadcopter.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-5457517006638733372014-11-18T13:41:00.001-06:002014-11-18T13:41:34.729-06:00Exploring Jacob's Well: Some footage for your enjoyment<a href="http://jacobswellproject.blogspot.com/2014/11/some-footage-for-your-enjoyment.html?spref=bl">Exploring Jacob's Well: Some footage for your enjoyment</a>: Our ROV team (AustinROV) put together some video footage from our many build days and I must say it looks quite decent. We are by no means film school graduates or documentary film producers but we are learning.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-58748648171742015092014-10-28T13:36:00.003-05:002014-10-28T13:37:49.682-05:00Art car 2<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xTyYF_KhUoI/VE_hEpF-uNI/AAAAAAAAFPw/rGcfqyaIG98/s1600/IMG_3586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xTyYF_KhUoI/VE_hEpF-uNI/AAAAAAAAFPw/rGcfqyaIG98/s1600/IMG_3586.JPG" height="400" width="257" /></a><br />Here is some progress on the rocket engine for my rocket car. The top part is the combustion chamber and the fire comes out the bottom.<br /><br />The plan is to have an adjustable fuel/air mix to find the maximum flame effect. Oh, and attach this to a moving vehicle.<br /><br />Enjoy this tiny video of the flame effect.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/105779825" width="100" height="189" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-23774855035060804522014-09-01T20:41:00.000-05:002014-09-01T20:41:05.949-05:00Exploring Jacob's Well: OpenExplorer AND A TEST DIVE<a href="http://jacobswellproject.blogspot.com/2014/08/openexplorer.html?spref=bl">Exploring Jacob's Well: OpenExplorer AND A TEST DIVE</a>: We've finally made it! The ROV works!! Our first successful test dive is documented over at the project blog.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-69407350395251860422014-08-27T13:20:00.002-05:002014-08-27T13:20:58.533-05:00Art car 1I'm working on an art car. It is hard to describe what it looks like so I'll post some pictures. In the end this will be a flame spitting rocket ship.&nbsp;<div><br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oFbcV1WkU_E/U_yLc1jzFmI/AAAAAAAAEoY/iPO_k-U6BsE/s640/blogger-image--1069337639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oFbcV1WkU_E/U_yLc1jzFmI/AAAAAAAAEoY/iPO_k-U6BsE/s400/blogger-image--1069337639.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cutting parts off the donor vehicle</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LZO4jWFveqQ/U_yLbnpD-mI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/NwKplqzrmGw/s640/blogger-image-224270967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LZO4jWFveqQ/U_yLbnpD-mI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/NwKplqzrmGw/s400/blogger-image-224270967.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rear shot of the donor vehicle, post surgery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-37869715381524356822014-08-19T11:41:00.005-05:002015-03-16T12:32:48.717-05:00Powercube engine 2We are dry fitting the engine, tanks and pump. The plates have been drilled and fitted.<br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vvIUqi1P0i8/U_DqkJzxppI/AAAAAAAAEnQ/BwJgpfFsVVs/s640/blogger-image--1131022871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vvIUqi1P0i8/U_DqkJzxppI/AAAAAAAAEnQ/BwJgpfFsVVs/s400/blogger-image--1131022871.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />Grant is tack welding on the pump mounting plate.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wblIX4OQbPs/U_JKnu03avI/AAAAAAAAEno/SwC_wWV-j-E/s640/blogger-image-542628044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wblIX4OQbPs/U_JKnu03avI/AAAAAAAAEno/SwC_wWV-j-E/s400/blogger-image-542628044.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The engine and pump mount plates are tacked together. Now they're ready for finish welding which will solidify the four pieces of metal.<br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QSJ28K9bPAw/U_JKpIczErI/AAAAAAAAEnw/hSB4795Fyn0/s640/blogger-image--1881893594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QSJ28K9bPAw/U_JKpIczErI/AAAAAAAAEnw/hSB4795Fyn0/s400/blogger-image--1881893594.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />Here you can also see the tanks sort of fitting into the frame. We still need to re-check them for leaks and attach them to the frame.<br /><br />These tanks are really hard to move on their own due to their weight. When combined with the frame it is no longer feasible to lift by hand. I think we're going to have to build a hoist, which we'll need later anyway to attach the Powercube to the Artcar.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">You can find out more about this project on my&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.d33z.com/p/powercube.html" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">powercube project page</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">.&nbsp;</span></div>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-46442984982576662542014-08-13T17:54:00.000-05:002015-03-16T12:32:55.664-05:00Powercube tanks 4 and engine 1Yesterday we made some really good progress. Tanks were tested. We cut the shaft on the engine. Bolt holes appeared in a new engine mounting plate. It was a really good time.<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5ryxlHor_bc/U-uyg1_JDzI/AAAAAAAAEj8/fkSP8FgMf60/s640/blogger-image--1767416122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5ryxlHor_bc/U-uyg1_JDzI/AAAAAAAAEj8/fkSP8FgMf60/s320/blogger-image--1767416122.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">underside of the 27HP water cooled motor</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We used a rag with ice water to keep the shaft cool while cutting it with a portable bandsaw.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4je1zLcovT4/U-uyiJTZ3CI/AAAAAAAAEkE/tODXLRZX6S4/s640/blogger-image--1709349261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4je1zLcovT4/U-uyiJTZ3CI/AAAAAAAAEkE/tODXLRZX6S4/s320/blogger-image--1709349261.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we cut the shaft down by an inch (or so)</td></tr></tbody></table>Next we'll be cutting and welding on the mount plates and tanks and looking for a shaft coupler. I believe the measurements were 1-1/8" engine side and 3/4" pump side.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yU6SW7j81Y0/U-uyfgF4z7I/AAAAAAAAEj0/OacGqzKonbM/s640/blogger-image-1262818485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yU6SW7j81Y0/U-uyfgF4z7I/AAAAAAAAEj0/OacGqzKonbM/s320/blogger-image-1262818485.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the engine, frame and tanks came together and apart once again</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">You can find out more about this project on my&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.d33z.com/p/powercube.html" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">powercube project page</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">.&nbsp;</span></div>Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-2332975213920212252014-08-05T14:36:00.000-05:002014-08-05T14:36:24.970-05:00My first Pull RequestAfter using open source software for a long time, I have finally found a way that I can contribute back to the community. Enter the OpenROV. I've been working on this project with a group of friends and some aspects of the software were bothering me. The software side is hosted on GitHub which makes it easy to contribute to (as well as easy to manage).<br /><br /><a href="https://github.com/OpenROV">https://github.com/OpenROV</a><br /><br />My first (public) pull request is a few small changes related to spelling corrections that were bothering me in the UI.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQGnWBkOun4/U-ExtuxsFdI/AAAAAAAAEjY/FJIHoBNyOys/s1600/pullreq1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQGnWBkOun4/U-ExtuxsFdI/AAAAAAAAEjY/FJIHoBNyOys/s1600/pullreq1.png" height="171" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><a href="https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/pull/238">https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/pull/238</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The request was accepted and merged into the OpenROV trunk! That is good news, it means my patches were accepted into the main codebase.<br /><br />I'm tinkering with a Linux kernel module at the moment and if I can find the time I will also try to send up a pull request to raspbian to include it.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-35829897811973678832014-07-09T16:44:00.001-05:002014-07-09T16:44:39.396-05:00Exploring Jacob's Well: One does not simply dive into mordor...<a href="http://jacobswellproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-does-not-simply-dive-into-mordor.html?spref=bl">Exploring Jacob's Well: One does not simply dive into mordor...</a>: The ROV ran into some problems during the test dive that we didn't encounter at home. As James hinted, there were some electrical shorts...Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-40124371493849420592014-06-12T18:46:00.001-05:002014-06-12T18:46:18.645-05:00Exploring Jacob's Well: lights, camera, go?<a href="http://jacobswellproject.blogspot.com/2014/06/lights-camera-go.html?spref=bl">Exploring Jacob's Well: lights, camera, go?</a>: Over the last few nights I have had a few minutes to fix some lingering problems on our ROV. Check out the post for more details.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-53367560444539948492014-05-08T15:36:00.001-05:002014-05-08T15:36:15.959-05:00Exploring Jacob's Well: Build Day 6 & 7<a href="http://jacobswellproject.blogspot.com/2014/05/build-day-6-7.html?spref=bl">Exploring Jacob's Well: Build Day 6 &amp; 7</a>: ROV Build Day 6 &amp; 7 were pretty interesting. We ran into a few problems but were able to work them out. I caused a bit of a delay by soldering the DB-25 connector backwards but everything worked when we fixed it. I haven't blown it up yet, but give me some time...Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-12337887717333226642014-05-05T10:43:00.000-05:002014-05-05T10:43:47.811-05:00Powercube frame 2<b>5/14/2014</b><br />We welded on the mounting brackets for the engine. After that we really wanted to see what it looked like with the engine in place, so we set it on there, and now we have what looks like a PowerCube.<br /><div><br /></div><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-j1EnAURAIGU/U2WqJGm7nsI/AAAAAAAAESc/Fcc6NZgjssc/s320/blogger-image--1383618695.jpg" width="239" /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nU15uwc6kNQ/U2WqKnCTfTI/AAAAAAAAESk/xUZQlEz43vo/s320/blogger-image--1350370877.jpg" width="239" /><br /><br />You can find out more about this project on my <a href="http://www.d33z.com/p/powercube.html" target="_blank">powercube project page</a>.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964532935885306110.post-22513340188956141662014-04-30T13:44:00.000-05:002014-05-05T10:43:33.611-05:00Powercube tanks 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bogMbvSKaMY/U2EoZS9Y-7I/AAAAAAAAER8/kCRh1vgKD_I/s1600/blogger-image--1419466036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bogMbvSKaMY/U2EoZS9Y-7I/AAAAAAAAER8/kCRh1vgKD_I/s320/blogger-image--1419466036.jpg" width="239" /></a> </div><b><b>4/29/2014</b></b><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: normal;">Grant and I spent some additional time on the tanks. I have to give him a lot of credit as he has been thinking and working on this a lot behind the scenes.<br /><br />I'm tacking the end caps on to the tanks here so that we can dry fit everything into the frame.<br /><br />The tubes are starting to look like storage tanks! The close one is fuel and the far one is hydraulic fluid.<br /><br />Thanks Grant, I really enjoy our projects together.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"></div><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bZ2_ww6wyjw/U2Eoa7Htq-I/AAAAAAAAESE/EC8BrUSHoDI/s320/blogger-image-1239919433.jpg" width="239" /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w7O5kZjkmNQ/U2EocbmtcRI/AAAAAAAAESM/DriF2BO97zs/s320/blogger-image-646227091.jpg" width="239" /><br /><br />You can find out more about this project on my <a href="http://www.d33z.com/p/powercube.html" target="_blank">powercube project page</a>.Daniel Eppersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01503365837418448865noreply@blogger.com0